


Forgive, but don't forget

by Sharky857



Category: Street Sharks (Cartoon)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, OCs Included, minor warning for some strong language here and there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 03:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20108605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharky857/pseuds/Sharky857
Summary: While on a break from lectures, Emily and Jamie stumble across an old acquaintance that they would've rather avoided.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *** WARNING! ***  
\- Bullying between little kids is involved, both verbal and physical.  
If you're uncomfortable with this in any way but still want to read the fic, I'm setting this into separated chapters; just skip the whole chapter called "flashback" and you'll be spared.
> 
> \- There will be uncensored use of the "F slur". If the use of slurs makes you uncomfortable in any way (even for the sole purpose of narration), I'd suggest you stop right here to read. This term will first appear during the "flashback" and will pop out again after that.
> 
> \- There will be some innuendos in the first and last part of the fic.
> 
> The following is a fic made 99% by OCs. The only canon character making an appearance is Professor Paradigm.  
This fic is focused mostly on an event occurred some time in middle school, which involved Jamie, Emily and a gang of bullies.

Emily reached the small kiosk bar, located in a quiet corner of the campus park, with her usual brisk pace. She noticed that there were a few more people already sitting at this and that table, but none was the guy she would've met for that lunch break.  
After heading to one of the small, empty tables, the young woman looked at her own phone's clock as she took her seat. She had come 15 minutes earlier than intended, no wonder her friend wasn't there yet.  
Emily heaved a small sigh, then shrugged lightly and grabbed her biology textbook from her own bag, along with her notebook. Well, at least she knew how to kill the wait: by reviewing the notes she had taken that morning.

  
The girl was so focused on her small study session that she barely noticed some shadow now covering the light; she rose her glance when the person now standing in front of her table lightly cleared their own throat to get her attention.  
Emily's eyes fell on a young man with an undercut of natural ash blonde hair, some faint stubble, clear blue eyes, and a lightly tanned skin. The boy was wearing a pale navy, light pullover and black denim bermuda shorts.  
Even with those clothes on, it was clear that he was an athletic guy. Emily wouldn't have been surprised if this stranger had turned out to be some American football player.  
Well, whoever this dude was, he was surely not the one she had been waiting for.

  
"Excuse me, didn't mean to interrupt." The young man said, apologising with a polite smile. The young woman just kept looking at him with that puzzled expression, so he went on. "You're Emily... Right?"

  
"There may be plenty of 'Emilies' in this campus, as far as I know. Could you be more specific?" Emily asked back quietly.

  
The other snorted amused for a moment. "Well... Guess you got a point here." He chuckled, then added: "Would 'Emily Paradigm' be specific enough?"

  
"Yes, that should do." The other nodded. "Ok then, let’s say you've found the right 'Emily'. What would you want with her?" She then inquired. The question seemed to have taken the other by surprise.

  
"Ah... Don't you remember me?" He asked a bit awkwardly.

  
Emily stared at him for a moment, looking up and down from the top of his head to the tip of his shoes and back a couple of times. Then she lightly shook her head.  
"Should I?" She asked back deadpan.

  
The young man took a couple steps back opening his arms, as if in this way she could have a better look at himself. "Trevor? Trevor Kingstone? We went to the same school." He uttered, then smiled faintly. "God, rumours are true: you've really grown into one fine-looking lady, if I may say."

  
Emily silently cocked an eyebrow at first.  
Truth be told, she had already recognised the guy the moment she had heard the name 'Trevor'. Hearing his last name only strengthened that feeling.  
Emily had no fucking clue why Trevor had decided to approach her again, after all those years and out of the blue, but that last remark of his seemed to have cleared all doubts.  
Apparently, every single jock of the campus had the same line of thought:

  
_'Good-looking' + 'Paradigm's Daughter' = 'It's Free Real Estate'_

  
Trevor was no exception, and Emily knew how to deal with annoying dudebros like him.

  
_However!_

  
Just this once, Emily decided not to quickly dismiss that second-rate Romeo.  
The girl knew Trevor all too well. She had never forgotten that day in 6th grade, and now she felt like this young man deserved a special treatment.  
How was that saying? Ah, yes.

  
_'Revenge is a dish best served cold.'_

  
God, she loved that one!

  
"Oh yeah, Trevor!" Emily flashed him a smile as she closed and put both book and notes aside. "Everyone called you 'King', right? Still calling you that? Oh, pardon my manners. Take a seat, there are plenty of free chairs, after all." She added in a small yet friendly flurry of words.

  
Whoever knew Emily well also knew that such display of friendliness was definitely not in her style, especially not with someone she was not friend with, and that she'd been cooking something up for sure.  
But Trevor was not among her friends, let alone simple acquaintances, so the young man inadvertently took her bait.

  
"Yeah, I'm still being a 'King'." Trevor laughed, after he'd grabbed a chair nearby and sat astride, crossing and resting his toned forearms on the backrest.

  
"Hmh, I can see why." Emily hummed, harmlessly poking his forearm with a playful smirk. "You seem to have grown some nice muscles since last time I saw you. What's your secret, 'King'?"

  
"What can I say? Hard work pays off." The other smirked confidently, rolling up one of the sleeves and flexing for a moment. The impressed reaction from the young woman only increased his own confidence. And her next line led him to think that most probably this Paradigm chick was completely sold.

  
"True, true." Emily nodded, then sighed lightly. "Kinda makes me wish I could have a better look at those bad boys." She suddenly brought her hands up to her own mouth and gasped. "Oh shit! I can't believe I said that out loud!"

  
Trevor let out an heartfelt laugh at that latter reaction. "Don't sweat it, sugar. These 'bad boys' can have that effect on a lot of chicks. You're not alone."

  
"That's reassuring." Emily rolled her eyes. "So, I guess you already showed your 'bad boys' to all those 'chicks?" The young woman took a swift glance downwards before locking her grey eyes into those blue ones. "Even your 'bad man'?"

  
The other blinked for a moment, then smirked deviously. "Well, well, looks like you've grown spunky too." Trevor stood up for a moment and circled the table, carrying the chair with him. Once he had inched closer to Emily, he sat down in the same position as before.

  
"Nah, those other girls have never really been worth my time that much. Some wanted to get to 'know' me just because I'm a quite popular fella in our campus' football team. I wouldn't have really minded to get them laid for just one night, but most of them were just.... Meh." He waved a hand dismissively, then leaned closer to Emily and lowered his voice. "For you, however, I could always make an exception."

  
Emily tried to suppress a disgusted shudder -which the other took as an aroused shiver-.

  
"A one-night stand would be such a waste to both of us. We could be the best couple in the whole campus: Trevor and Emily. Kingstone, the popular quarterback, and Paradigm, the billionaire's daughter. There would be absolutely no one like us."

  
The young woman chewed on her lower lip as the other tried to inch even closer, thinking that he had won her over and trying to steal a kiss right there and then.  
On the other hand, Emily's uneasiness grew a tenfold with each passing second. She got herself in this situation and now had no idea how she could wriggle her way out. Her original plan had relied on her friend's arrival, but they were nowhere in sight yet.  
She needed to think about a Plan B, _and fast!_

  
"Emmie? Where are you, hun?"

  
_Oh, praise the Lord!_

  
Emily gently pushed Trevor back with a small smile, then stood up from her seat to wave at her friend.

  
"Over here, J!"

  
Trevor frowned in confusion, looking at the young woman.  
"Were you expecting someone?" He asked.

  
"Duh!" She answered. "I think you'd love to meet them too. After all, they're an old acquaintance of yours as well." The young woman hummed. "Oh, here they are."

  
Trying to not look too annoyed for that interruption, Trevor turned to look at who this 'friend' of Emily was.

  
"Jamie, you're just in time." Emily greeted the other.

  
"Hmm, yeah. Sorry I kept you waiting, Emmie." The young folk answered sheepishly as they took their seat. "At least you had this guy to keep you company." They hummed, casting a small, warm smile at Trevor.

  
"Yeah, we were having... an _interesting_ conversation, in fact." Emily hummed as she sat back on her chair, then leaning on the table. "Jamie, would you still remember some 'Trevor' guy? Trevor Kingstone?" She asked with a smile, cryptic to Trevor but certainly knowing to Jamie.  
The girl knew all too well that some 'experiences' are quite hard to forget, after all.

  
"Hmmm..."

  
Jamie immediately played Emily's same game and stared intently at Trevor. The other just silently stared back, as if even he was trying to figure out who this character was. Only one thing was for sure to him: this 'Jamie' had been one hell of a cockblocker.

  
"Ah yes, now I remember!" Jamie grinned all in a sudden. "Trevor 'King' Kingstone, right?" The young folk asked, then leaned their elbow on the small table, placing their chin on the back of their own intertwined hands. "If I recall, you got suspended for two weeks in your 7th grade, for bullying and discriminating another student and trying to place the blame on that same student."

  
Trevor froze on his seat.  
"I-I don't know how you know, b-but I had nothing to do with that, ok?" He stammered.

  
Emily stood up from her chair again and took a single step behind Trevor's seat, placing her hands on his shoulders while resting her chin on his right shoulder. "_Trevvie-poo_, dear..." She hummed with a small smile. "You've always been the absolute worst liar I've ever met, you know?"


	2. Flashback (START)

_\- James Murphy, 6th grade._

  
James “Jamie” Murphy was a scrawny 11 years old boy with a head full of curls and always wearing colourful clothes.  
He had always had that kind of preferences, and his parents always let him be. As long as their "little sunshine" was happy and liked those clothes, they never saw a single reason as to why they should've "restricted" his wardrobe, as some other parents had tried to "kindly suggest".  
It's not like he had been strolling down the hallways with nothing but bermuda shorts and flip-flops, after all! Everything he wore was still in line with the school's general dress code.  
On the other hand, receiving those "suggestions" was what started to concern Mako and Orson. Getting those "advices just for your son's own good" made them immediately understand that not everyone would've been bound to let their James be.  
  


One evening, both parents eventually sat down with their only son for a small, family talk.  
He would've been always free to express himself as he saw fit. However, there would've been people who might've not shared that same thought. Some might've simply thought that he was just a show-off, some others would've silently frowned upon him, and some others still could've turned a bit meaner than that.  
Both Orson and his wife gently made it crystal clear with their little boy: if he'd ever met any of those people, and he'd ever felt they were making him uncomfortable or feeling threatened in any way, he needed not to be afraid nor ashamed to tell mom and dad right away. Meanwhile, his parents would've started to teach him how to be prepared with some clever comebacks -no insults allowed; they all lived by "treat the others like you want to be treated"-, lowkey hoping that things would've not escalated any further than a few banters.  
Unfortunately, this small hope got shattered that day in 6th grade.

  
By then it was clear that Jamie was not like the other boys of his age, and that his way of dressing was only the tip of the iceberg. For instance, he too would play with toy cars and such, like any other boy of his age, but oftentimes Jamie was seen carefully brushing the hair of some dolls.  
The little boy even had a few on display, on a shelf in his bedroom. Whenever asked about _those_, he used to answer that those dolls had pretty, long hair, just like his mom. So he could brush their hair and practice some hairstyle, before redoing that same hairdo as a personal, surprise gift to the woman whenever he felt satisfied enough with the results.

  
Toys aside, what set Jamie apart from the other boys were also his interests and overall behaviour.  
Little boys at that age would start to become more rowdy and hard to keep at bay. Jamie, on the other hand, was the "little angel" every teacher would've wished for. While his classmates were loud and obnoxious, this other little boy just sat quietly at his desk, focusing only on the lesson and being always ready to give the right answer whenever a question -especially one of those to test how much attention students had been paying until then- would've been randomly dropped by the teacher.

  
As for his hobbies, Jamie inherited a love for painting and a few other artisanal crafting from his mom Mako, so it was not unusual to see the little boy doodling something on his own notebook in his free time. In addition, he seemed fascinated by what the nature could offer, in term of beauty. While other kids would've been merely oblivious to the nature around them, and some others would've tried to squash any insect in sight, Jamie would've been like fascinated by the pattern on a butterfly's wings.  
Of course, he would also feel the need to draw it, if it had been that interesting.  
And of course, all this "weirdness" from Jamie's part started to get the attention of some unpleasant people.


	3. Flashback (CONT'D)

_\- Trevor Kingstone, 7th grade._

  
An obnoxious 13 years old boy with ash blonde hair and clear eyes, who could tower over Jamie by nearly one whole head. Born in a wealthy family, “King” always had a thing for showing off how strong he was, physically speaking, and would've never hesitated to pick up fights with other kids, preferably younger and/or weaker, to put them "back in their place".  
While most of the young students feared and avoided him, a few others actually admired him for his boldness. In time, a small gang of bullies formed around him, with "King" as their young boss.

  
Feeling even more empowered by his small circle of new friends, Trevor would've roamed the hallways along with his gang, looking for their next target.  
The boys weren't really afraid of getting into troubles; being careful with their targets, they would've waited for a moment when that other little kid would've been isolated, even just for a few minutes, so that there would've been no witnesses around. Usually they would've simply threatened their victims, scaring them off from reporting the group to the authority in charge. In case those threats would've been uneffective, they could still count on "King" and his parents to back everyone up.

  
While he had been acting like any student's worst nightmare at school, Trevor -and his friends too- kept up an overall quiet and friendlier demeanour in front of any authoritative figure, from a simple janitor to the teachers, and even whoever's parents.  
Those few students who actually attempted to report "King" and his friends for bullying had no real luck. Trevor and the others would've simply denied all the accusations, and eventually the school board would've believed that "little angel", too kind and polite to pull something so vile.  
So the small group kept up with their mischiefs totally unpunished, until the day they decided to cross path with James Murphy and, incidentally, Emily Paradigm.

  
Finding this new victim had been very easy. So easy that it hadn't even been really a fun. At first they had started to taunt that scrawny boy for his curly hair. Then for his colourful clothes.  
The little boy had never faltered once, at first. For each taunt, Jamie seemed to have a witty comeback waiting to be fired back, thanks to the small practice he'd been doing with his parents back at home.

  
Trevor took that as a personal challenge and his gang started to get more serious.  
Thanks to some casual conversations overheard in the hallways, "King" and the others learned that this boy -James, was it?- had some weird hobbies and interests, besides an apparently odd behaviour.  
The bullies started to call Jamie by all the slurs they knew back then, _“faggot”_ being the most used one, sometimes also pushing him around or trying to trip him in the hallway or the cafeteria. Sensing the increasing danger, Jamie did what his parents taught him to do: he talked with them right away, telling them how using a comeback to their verbal taunt was leading to something worse.

  
Both Orson and his wife agreed on what to do: they would've talked to the authorities at school. Meanwhile, James had to try and avoid the gang of bullies. No, not so to speak, but literally. Blend yourself within a small group of other students, wait for the gang to leave the area before walking by... Whatever it would've taken for him to not get too close to those boys. And most importantly: never feel ashamed for trying to keep oneself safe, so never give into their taunts if those bullies would've ever called the smaller boy "coward" and the likes.

  
"Remember, son: the real cowards here are these boys, and they alone." Orson had concluded. "Bullies tend to have this mentality: they always stick together, because they think that this makes them stronger, and they prefer isolated targets, because they think this makes them unpunishable too: no witnesses, no real proofs. But when they are each on their own or in a large crowd, they suddenly turn as quiet as lambs."

  
"Yes, dad. I'll keep that in mind."

  
Sensing the urgency of the situation, the Murphies tried to talk with the principal right the following day, dropping by kind of unannounced, so that the other had to make a few minutes for them.  
The old man was slightly irritated that those two had dropped in without making an appointment first, but, after listening to what they had to say, he called Trevor in his office nontheless. Naturally, the boy acted surprised and denied every single accusation.

  
"They are just boys, Mr. Murphy. Probably Trevor here just gave a light push to your son as a harmless joke." The old man concluded.

  
"Was calling my son names -that are not suitable for any environment- part of this 'joke' too, Mr. Johnson?" Orson asked back deadpan.

  
"Maybe your son misheard those words." The other shrugged lightly.

  
"_Repeatedly_, Mr. Johnson?"

  
Mr. Johnson sighed lightly, then turned to Trevor.  
"Son, did you ever called James a..." He trailed off, not wanting to use that word openly, knowing how offensive it was.  
"Did you ever use any kind of bad word towards that little boy?" He asked instead.

  
"I would never!" Trevor gasped horrified. "My dad would smack me across the face if he ever heard me saying any of those words!"

  
"There you have it, Mr. Murphy." The old man turned back to the vexed couple. "School hallways can be quite noisy, especially when students move all together from a classroom to another. I wouldn't be surprised if your James misheard Trevor more than once, especially if he were trying to recall his attention from across a crowded hallway." The other man shrugged again, before taking a look at his own watch. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a meeting with the school counsellor to attend to. If you ever feel the need for a new meeting, you're welcome to properly schedule an appointment with my secretary at any given time. Have a nice day, Mr. Murphy."

  
Needless to say, neither Orson nor Mako were satisfied a bit by those answers. Jamie had told them how Trevor actually waited for when he would've been seemingly alone before that young teen and his friends would try and harass him.  
So no, Jamie had never misheard a damn thing. That Trevor boy and his gang of bullies had been clearly targeting the smaller boy, no matter what the principal had said.  
But for now the Murphies had their hands tied. They couldn't just demand to see Mr. Johnson over and over again to discuss that same matter. It wouldn't have made them look like worried parents, just like people obsessed with getting a young teen punished, no matter what.  
Albeit reluctantly, the couple had to sit tight, for the moment. All they could hope for was that their little sunshine could keep on avoiding those kids as much as humanly possible, at least until they would've tired of targeting a small boy who had turned harder to get for them.

  
Stoically enduring every taunt and mockery, Jamie had learned to not even breathe a word, always walking real fast past those six kids and not even slowing down nor snapping back at their remarks about his apparent cowardice. In addition, if any of them had tried to follow him for whatever reason, Jamie would've simply gone for the blending in option until giving that other kid the slip.  
All this seemed to work as the bullies finally let him be, until that fateful afternoon.

  
Classes for that day were over, and Jamie had almost reached the exit along with the rest of the students, when he halted on his tracks. The boy stepped aside for a moment, so to not block the passage to the others, and leaned his backpack on the floor, opening and starting to rummage into it with a light frown.  
When he realised that he had, in fact, forgotten a textbook into his own locker, the little boy cursed under his breath.  
Jamie stood up, settling the backpack back on his shoulder, then turned and made a quick run back to the lockers lined up in one of the hallways.

  
Just get to the locker, grab the book, close the locker and run back to the exit. All that should've taken five minutes or less, no big deal.

  
When he reached the hallway, he noticed that some eerily familiar bullies were there too, all gathered around a single locker -most certainly belonging to their new target- and muttering lowly between themselves. To Jamie was clear that it was Trevor and his gang and that the kids were up to one of their mischiefs towards their new victim.

  
The moment they sensed they weren't alone anymore, all six immediately stopped what they were doing -so far they had been unsuccessfully trying to tamper with the combination lock- and turned to face Jamie. Their horrified expressions soon turned into sneers when they recognised the smaller kid.

  
"Well, well... If it isn't our favourite midget." Trevor remarked as he and the others moved to Jamie.

  
Gulping hard, the smaller kid began to back away slowly, letting out a small gasp when he felt his back pressing against a wall.  
Without hesitating further, Jamie turned and tried to ran back from the hallway he had come from. One of the kids foresaw his move, and grabbed and shoved the other in an empty corner between the opposite wall and the row of lockers.

  
"Leaving so soon?" Trevor sneered again. "We were just starting to have fun, faggot."

  
"You all have the sickest idea of fun I've ever seen." Despite the growing fear, Jamie managed to reply back with a firm voice.

  
"Why thank you." The other smirked. "Now, let me see what you've brought to this party."  
That said, he swiftly snatched the backpack from Jamie's shoulder and handed it over to the closest kid.

  
"Hey, give that b- Ouch!" Another of the bullies had quickly shoved him back against the wall.

  
"Keep quiet, or you're so gonna get a knuckles sandwich." Trevor hissed, his nose menacingly close to Jamie's before he pulled away and turned to look at his friend.

  
The other kid had ripped the zipper open and held the backpack upside down, shaking it as if he had been emptying a trash bag on the floor.

  
"Well, nothing much." The young teen hummed, slowly scattering the emptied content with the tip of his own sneaker. "A couple notebooks, some pencil box, a bo-- Hold it!" The kid crouched down and slapped the book aside, revealing what was half-hidden underneath.  
"What the heck is this?" He snorted amused, picking up a fashion magazine.

  
"Well, can't you s- OW!" Trevor had just kept his word and delivered a blow to Jamie's lower jaw.

  
"I warned you to keep quiet!" He casted a feral smile, as if seeing the now split lip of the other kid had given him life.

  
Jamie bit back his tears as he glared first at Trevor and then at the other bully. He felt some blood dampening his lower lip and wiped it away, wincing a little for the pain.

  
The little kid evaluated the situation, and immediately realised that he was completely at the mercy of that gang. He was outnumbered and, to make things worse, he wasn't even strong enough to face any of them one by one.  
Jamie started to regret greatly not taking self defense lessons from his father, who owned a small gym in the city.  
If he'd ever made it out of there still in one piece, however, the little kid swore that he would've begun to take those lessons right the next day.  
He wasn't going to be pushed around anymore.

  
_Just, please God..._ Jamie thought as he now watched those bullies ripping a page after another from that magazine, _Let me out of here on my feet!_

  
Fortunately for Jamie, he wasn't the only in need to make an emergency run for the locker.


	4. Flashback (CONT'D)

_\- Emily Paradigm, 6th grade._

  
A shrimp-sized 11 years old girl with two long pigtails and a pair of pink glasses made her appearance in the hallway. Just like Jamie, she too had forgotten a textbook in her own locker.

  
Talk about a fortuitous coincidence!

  
The moment the girl turned the corner and saw the scene before her eyes was also the moment she halted and immediately forgot about that damn book. She had absolutely no idea who that cornered boy was, but the little girl had recognised "King" and his little gang, so she had automatically come to one conclusion: those morons were hurting an innocent kid!

  
"Leave him alone, you jerks!" Her outraged, crystalline voice echoed in the hallway.

  
Trevor and the others stopped to look back at her, "King" himself studied that new midget with his look for a moment, before letting out a giggle-snort that soon turned into a mocking laughter which spread to the rest of the gang.  
"Or you what?" Trevor teased the little girl.

  
Without the slight hesitation, Emily dropped her backpack, took her glasses off -stuffing them in a pocket of her own pack- and then barged head first into the small group as she screamed bloody murder.  
Emily rammed head first the same bully who had emptied Jamie's backpack, outbalancing the surprised boy who toppled over. His posterior had barely touched the floor when that tiny fury was on him.

  
"Get this little witch off of me!" The boy screamed, his arms rose up to protect himself from that flurry of small fists.

  
"That's enough, missy!"  
Emily felt someone grabbing her by her pigtails and painfully yanking her away from the young teen on the ground.

  
"I'll teach you to mind your own business." Trevor hissed lowly, without letting her go. Then turned to another bully. "Grab her pack, Mike."

  
"Keep your filthy hands off of me!" Emily yelled, scratching Trevor hands so hard that the boy had to let her go with a pained yelp. Now there were bloody streaks on both the back of his hands.

  
"You're so gonna pay for--" Trevor couldn't end his sentence, for the little girl, as soon as she'd been freed, had quickly collected the sturdy book from the floor and, holding it with both her hands, smacked the hard cover across Trevor's face with all her might.

  
Leaving a writhing and whimpering Trevor against the lockers, the little girl charged into the one called 'Mike', shoving him away from her own backpack. It was only by sheer luck that the stunned boy had retained his own balance without falling down, only taking a couple of unstable steps backwards.

  
"You want to take my stuff? Come and get it!" She yelled, grabbing the ruler that was poking out of her own backpack and wielding it like some kind of sword, storming towards the other kid while swinging her 'weapon'.

  
The bully backstepped while trying to dodge and par each blow with his arms, until he suddenly felt his back pressing against the wall. His slight distraction cost him a hard blow from the thinner side of the ruler that had just smashed into his cheekbone, immediately leaving a purplish bruise, as thin and long as the side of that ruler.

  
"You're a freaking psycho!" Mike shouted horrified, pained -and probably fearful too- tears now rolling down his cheeks.

  
"You all just brought this up onto yourselves!" Emily snapped back, reaching Jamie and standing between him and the rest of the bullies, always holding her own ruler like a makeshift sword.  
"You thought you could pick on this boy just because he's smaller than you? Well, I am small too! And also a girl! Why don't you pick on me instead, huh!? C'mon pansies, bring it on!"

  
That was the scene that welcomed the janitor. The middle-aged woman had heard some scuffle and some kids yelling, and she had made a run as fast as her chubby legs could carry her.  
"What the devil is going on here!?" The woman panted lightly.

  
"Aw crap, it's 'Mrs. Whale'." One of the bullies gasped under his breath. " Run!"

  
Trevor and the others needed not to be told twice.  
Despite their speed, the middle-aged lady managed to grab and corner one of the fleeing bullies, blocking him in the hallway along with Emily -now lowering her 'sword'- and Jamie -still huddled in his corner-.  
The single bully was Trevor himself.

  
"You three, gather your stuff." The woman said peremptorily. "You ain't going anywhere, except for Mr. Johnson's office!"

  
"Yes, Mrs. Evans." The three kids mumbled.


	5. Flashback (END)

It was only once the three families had been called into Mr. Johnson's office that each kid learned who the other was.

  
The "alleged bully" himself was Trevor Kingstone. His father was owner of a big car dealership in the city, while his mother was a renowned interior designer.  
Needless to say, the family belonged to the upper class.

  
The "alleged victim" was James Murphy, only son of Mako and Orson Murphy. The small, middle class family lived in a likewise small house near the suburban area of Fission City.  
To the likes of the Kingstones, they were nothing but small fries.

  
The last family needed no real introduction, everyone in Fission City knew about professor Luther Paradigm, a billionaire entrepreneur, owning several different companies and factories under the name "Paradigm Enterprises", and also brilliant bio-engineer scientist.

  
When Trevor saw the bald man entering the office with some 'midget' girl, all his confidence suddenly vanished as the young teen turned as pale as a ghost.  
Given their influence in Fission City, nobody ever dared to get on a Paradigm's bad side, and the fate had just decided that it would've been interesting to put Emily Paradigm right on his path.  
Until then, he knew, was _absolutely certain_ that he would've come out of that small trouble as usual: totally unpunished.  
"King" had been already plotting of getting out of troubles with the same old script: merely denying every single accusation, at times even turning the table around so that he himself would've been seen as the real victim in that ordeal, while his ignorant parents would've made a new tirade against the accusing parts, saying that their own "little angel" would've never behaved like that, and so forth.  
Trevor was ready to taste that nth victory once again, until he spotted professor Paradigm. Even so, seeing Emily's derisive glance had snapped the young teen from his initial shock, and in the end he decided to carry on his little plan nonetheless.

  
Each kid was called to give their own version of what had happened in that hallway: with a slightly trembling voice, Jamie tried to tell as many details as he could remember.  
Naturally, once his turn came, Trevor denied he had ever started anything, saying that it was "the other boy" who actually provoked and also hit him. His part of the testimony caused a small uproar from his own parents, insisting that their son was the only victim and that he was being probably framed by that other brat.

  
"That's enough! Miss Paradigm, would you please share your part of the story?" The principal asked in a neutral tone, after he had somehow managed to calm those two big heads down.

  
"Yes, sir."

  
Emily approached his desk without the slightest hesitation, under the more and more horrified look of Trevor.  
She only took her time to cast a glance at the two boys; James, to her right, was just clinging to Mako's side, silently crying as his mother had wrapped a protective arm around his back. Trevor, to her left, stood behind his parents, slightly shaking his head.

  
_Don't do it, Paradigm._

  
Emily's look hardened towards the latter boy, then turned back to face Mr. Johnson, proving with her methodical testimony that she was, in fact, the daughter of a well-known bio-engineer.  
Without missing a single detail nor making a single mistake, the little girl told everything.

  
"I can tell without mistake that James did not hit anyone." She started off.

  
"Explain?" The old man prodded the little girl.

  
"I am a good observer, Mr. Johnson." Emily answered. "When I reached the hallway, I noticed that James had a few blood on his lower lip, meaning that something -or _someone_\- had already hit him in the face. All while the other kids where totally unharmed, not even a single scratch."

  
"You little liar!" Mrs. Kingstone gasped. "Then how do you explain Trevvie's swollen nose!? You heard what he said: that little kid punched him first! My Trevvie just defended himself!"

  
"Oh, that nose is my doing, actually. As well as those scratches on his hands." Emily replied back calmly.

  
"...Care to elaborate on this, Miss Paradigm?" Mr. Johnson asked intently, slightly leaning forwards on his desk. This time he needed not to tell the Kingstones to keep quiet, that small revelation from the little girl had apparently left both parents agape for the shock.

  
"Yes, sir." Emily nodded, then proceeded with her telling.  
"I saw 'Trevvie' here and his friends cornering James and I acted out of pure instinct. First I ran into the group to scatter the kids away from James, then I dealt with them one by one, starting with the moron who was messing with James' belongings."

  
"Emily, language." Professor Paradigm mildly reproached his daughter.

  
"Sorry." The little girl merely answered, then went on with her own testimony. "I was kind of pounding that kid, when Trevor grabbed my hair and yanked me away, saying that he would've taught me to mind my own business. That's been when I told him back to get his hands off of me and I scratched him." She said, locking her icy glare on Trevor, who just shrank behind his father.  
"Then I collected some book from the floor and whacked him across the face with that. That's why his nose looks like a ripe tomato."

  
"You... You let this weakling, _a blasted little girl_, beat you up!?" Mr. Kingstone roared to his son, who winced and yelped weakly. "This is ridiculous! No man should ever let a woman beat him up like this! Are you a real man or not?!"

  
"Mr. Kingstone, please keep your sexist remarks for another time." The principal firmly recalled the other. The man kept quiet, altough it was quite clear that he was silently fuming.

  
"So, are you saying that all this is actually _your_ doing, Miss Paradigm?" Mr. Johnson asked to the little girl, as soon as order and silence had been restored again, gesturing towards Trevor.

  
"Yes, sir. James did absolutely nothing the whole time." Emily nodded. "He was just the unfortunate victim here. I tried to defend him the best I could."

  
"S-She's lying!" Trevor shouted all in a sudden, mostly to try and save what little "manly pride" he had still left, after what his own father told. "She's just... She's just making everything up! She's covering up for her friend!"

  
"Am I?" Emily retorted with eerie calmness. "If I recall, this whole building is equipped with security cameras. I think it might take only a quick look at the right tapes to see which one of us has been lying all along, _'Trevvie'_. Besides, James and I are not friends. I never even met him before this very day."

  
"If you never met him, how come you know his name?" The other kid retorted, mostly as a desperate attempt to divert everyone's attention from what that brat had just suggested -checking the camera recording-.

  
The little girl rolled her eyes as she snorted. "Because that's how Mr. Johnson introduced him, you dumbass: James Murphy. Or are you so full of yourself that even your ears are clogged up?"

  
"Emily, language." Her father reproached her again.

  
"Sorry, dad."

  
Trevor glared at Emily, then back at Jamie -who just gasped and shrank even more behind Mako-, feeling as if his own rage was about to make his chest explode.

  
"This... This is all _your_ fault!" He bursted out hysterically. "My life is ruined because of _you_! And _you_ will pay for this, _you fuckin' faggot_! Just you wait! I--"

  
An heavy silence fell inside the office. Even Trevor had suddenly kept quiet, the moment he realised what he had just said.

  
"It appears that there may be no real need to view those tapes, after all. This outburst alone should prove further who is victim and who is tormenter." Paradigm remarked dryly, referring to Trevor's last words.

  
"I... I was provoked!" Trevor exclaimed panicking. "You saw how he looked at me!"

  
At least four adults and a little girl groaned.  
"I think I've heard enough." Mr. Johnson sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Children, please wait outside, while I exchange some last words with your parents."

* * *

  
That felt like the most awful day to Jamie.  
The little kid was sitting quietly on a chair, just outside the principal's office, his head low, as if he feared to meet anyone's gaze.

  
In the chair in front of him sat Emily. Unlike that little boy, she seemed still annoyed and kinda bored at the same time.  
Her boredom was because she couldn't wait to go home -those homeworks weren't going to be done by themselves-, while her own annoyance was caused by the presence of some third kid, sulking on a chair as far away as possible from the other two.  
From time to time, Emily would cast him deadly glares from the top of her glasses. She didn't care whether Trevor turned to look back at her or not. For now, that's all she could do, since each one of them had been asked to keep quiet.  
The little girl simply hated to the core all people who tried to turn and twist the truth to their own advantage, especially when they tried to manipulate facts and events so that they could get away with whatever they had committed. Trevor turned out to be one of those people, and Emily, who merely disliked him for being a bully at first, now openly despised that young teen.

  
The only breaking that silence with gentle whispers was the school nurse in charge for that day, Ms. Swann, a freckled woman in her 30s, with long, dark hair always styled in a braid, whose presence alone seemed to radiate soothing vibes.  
The nurse had taken care of Trevor first, since he appeared to be the most battered of the three, patiently and stoically ignoring his whiny complains -"it burns"- when she had gently dabbed the scratches on his hands with some disinfectant and then proceeded to dress the wounds.  
Then she had carefully examined his face. Probably that nose wasn't really broken, but she advised a quick trip to the nearest hospital to clear all doubts about it. In the meantime, Ms. Swann asked Trevor to hold an ice bag, to avoid further swelling.

  
"You don't want it to grow the size of a watermelon, do you?" The woman asked gently with a small smile, when she noticed some hesitation in the young teen.

  
"N-No, Ms. Swann." The other mumbled, finally taking the bag and applying it as he had been told.

  
Satisfied with that answer, the nurse moved to Emily.

  
"I'm fine, ma'am." The little girl immediately stated. It was true: out of the three kids, she was the only who came out of that mess totally unscathed. "Please, take care of James."

  
Ms. Swann quickly checked on her nonetheless, just to make sure that the girl was really alright, then moved to the last kid.

  
Jamie barely rose his head when he felt a gentle hand lifting his own chin to have a better look at his split lip.

  
"This will be a bit of a pain for a while, but you will live." Ms. Swann remarked with a maternal smile. Jamie silently nodded, his eyes still a bit red and swollen for the silent crying he'd been still doing even after the three had left the office.

  
"It didn't need to come to this." He sniffed in a barely audible whisper, once the nurse was done treating his injury.

  
"Well, it can't really be helped when _some people_ are stupid jerks by nature." Emily muttered between gritted teeth, casting the nth glare at Trevor.

  
"It wasn't my fault!" The other yelled right away.

  
"Quiet over there!" The secretary reproached the two, before they could start any bickering in the corridor.

* * *

  
After what seemed to be eternal minutes, everyone's parents left the office. The three kids sprang on their feet right away.

  
Mako ran to hug tightly her "sunshine", while the Kingstones just picked Trevor up and stormed out without saying a word. They were both clearly livid.

  
"M-Mom...?" Jamie whispered as he clung to the soft cardigan of the woman. "Am I... in troubles?"

  
"Shhhh! Don't even think that, my dear." The woman whispered gently, brushing his curls.

  
"The one in troubles just left." Orson added with a small smile. "Well... The one in _real_ troubles, that is."

  
His son frowned in confusion as he looked at his father. "What do you mean?"

  
"Little Kingstone got a two weeks suspension." Professor Paradigm explained, omitting only one detail: Trevor had gotten dangerously close to be expelled from the school.

  
His punishment turned into a milder two-weeks suspension, on one condition: since even the janitor confirmed the presence of other kids on the scene, the young teen was offered this chance in exchange of the names of the rest of his small gang, so that even they and their parents could've been called to set the proper punishment.

  
The man then approached his daughter. "As for you, young lady..."

  
"I'm grounded, right?" She immediately asked matter-of-factly.

  
"Well, theoretically you would be." Her father chuckled softly. "But the school board, in the person of Mr. Johnson, beat me to it. They gave you detention for one week."

  
"I see. Fair enough." The little girl merely nodded.  
Emily knew that she had acted solely to help out another student; on the other hand, she recognised that she too had gone against the school's rules, with her own actions. And probably got a very mild punishment because she remained a Paradigm.

  
"What!? No! That's not fair!" Jamie protested, breaking free from his mother's hug. "Emily did nothing wrong, she was only trying to protect me! If she's getting detention, then I should deserve it too!"

  
Emily approached the little boy.  
"James, did you personally hit any of those morons?" She asked.

  
"N-No... I could never hit anyone."

  
The little girl crossed her arms. "And did you ask me to hit them for you?"

  
"Of course not! That would be low!" The horrified boy shook his head so vehemently that his curls swayed left and right with the motion. Emily smirked faintly at that reaction.

  
"So, you didn't hit any of them and didn't ask me to do it either." She stated, as if she'd been analysing the situation for the other. "Therefore, you could say that I acted on my own accord." The little girl then went on.  
"In conclusion: I came, I saw, I kicked their butt. Wouldn't you agree?"

  
"I... I guess." Jamie mumbled still unsure, while the small group walked towards the main hallway, heading to the exit of the building.

  
"See? My own choice and mine alone. And I wouldn't hesitate to do that again."

  
"Please, don't. That would get you in troubles again." Jamie replied with a sad look. "I don't want you to be in troubles because of me."

  
"As long as I'd be getting in troubles for a good cause, I don't care for any punishment. All they could do is give me detention anyway. No school board would ever dare to suspend or expell a Paradigm." The little girl shrugged lightly. "Detention isn't even so bad: just a few hours in the afternoon to study. It's not any different from what I already do at home."

  
"Wait, what? Do you study all the times?" Jamie gasped lightly.

  
_Talk about dedication!_

  
"Don't you... ever go out with your friends?" The little boy asked tentatively.

  
"I..." Emily diverted her gaze for a moment. "I don't... really have any."

  
"Emily is a very shy and introvert girl." Professor Paradigm gently meddled in. "She doesn't really like being under the spotlight."

  
"I see. It must not be really easy being a Paradigm, then." Orson remarked paternally.

  
"Yes, it has its ups and downs." Emily grunted, thinking at all those kids trying to make friends with her because of her being a Paradigm, sometimes encouraged by their own parents.  
No matter if on their own or prodded, so far everyone seemed willing to get in good terms with Emily just so they could later brag about being friend with 'none other than Paradigm's daughter and her father', as if that kind of friendship could win them some special prize or something.  
Of course, they all tried to be subtle about that kind of intentions, but Emily was as a good observer as her own father. Which sometimes was more a curse than a blessing.  
Or maybe it was just the 'Paradigm' name alone to be more a curse than a blessing.  
Whatever.

  
"Well, I can be your friend!" Jamie grinned, wincing immediately when he felt a small pain to his lower, split lip. "You could be Paradigm, Smith, Kingstones, Swann, I would just not care." He went on under the surprised look of the little girl. "You are someone who really got some guts! I saw how you knocked out two boys on your own. If Mrs. Evans hadn't come, I'm sure you could've dealt with the others without breaking a sweat! I really admire your courage and how strong you are."  
"I... I always wished to have a strong and reliable friend by my side." The little boy concluded shyly, rubbing the back of his head.  
"O-Of course, if you don't want, then I won't bo--" The latter addition got interrupted by a finger gently pressing on his own lips.

  
"Hush. Don't say what you're about to say." Emily replied. "If being your friend means that I may have more chances of seeing you again and more often, then that also means that there will be more chances of helping you out whenever you'll need it. Besides, I would like to have a better look at your drawings, someday. Yes, I spotted a doodled butterfly on a page of your notebook. Wish I could draw that good." The little girl added, then took her finger away from the dumbfounded boy's lips and stretched her hand out.  
"So... Friends?"

  
Under the pleased gaze of their respective parents, Jamie grinned -and winced- again as he shook hand with the little girl.  
"Friends!"

  
"This is my Emily," Paradigm sighed with a small, delighted smile, "always ready to help the others." The man's smile turned nostalgic as he gently patted her hair. "Your mother would be so proud to see this." He added softly.

  
"Thanks, dad."

  
"You two will also need to learn how to better defend yourselves, though." Orson chimed in thoughtfully. "Professor Paradigm, would you agree to let your daughter attend my self defense course? It would be for free, of course."

  
The man took a moment to think over that offer, looking at the little girl.

  
"Dad's always teaching how to use one's brain before one's brawn." Jamie meddled in. "He says that 'brute force' alone not always can get you out of a fight, that you may need to first analyse the situation."

  
"I see. Your dad sounds like a wise man, James." The man hummed.  
"Very well, then. I consent." In the end he nodded, then cast another glance at his daughter. "Perhaps these lessons might also help her to shake some wildness out of her systems as well."

  
"Daaaad!"

  
The man chuckled softly when he saw Emily pouting a little at that latter remark, then turned back to the other. "However, allow me to pay for these lessons."

  
"I insist, there is absolutely no need for money." Orson smiled back politely. "Emily stood up for James, without even knowing him. It's been very remarkable and we all will be grateful for her action."

  
Professor Paradigm got what Mr. Murphy meant: he wanted to repay Emily's gesture with what he considered the best he could offer.  
Paradigm had to admit it: that was indeed the best Mr. Murphy could offer. Emily seemed capable of defending herself, but the little girl also seemed to rely mostly on instinctive rage than rational thinking, in those moments. She clearly needed some more levelheaded guidance.  
Alas, that was a topic where Professor Paradigm was quite ignorant about.

  
"Very well, then." The geneticist nodded again with a small, polite smile. "It would be impolite from my part to refuse such a kind offer. There is only one, small detail..." The bald man turned to her daughter.  
"You'll be in detention for one week, my dear. Which means: no gym for you until your detention time will be up. Understood?"

  
"Yes, dad." Emily sighed lightly, then she smiled. "Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

"Hmh, that was quite a day." Jamie hummed with a cryptic smile. "Wouldn't you agree... _Trevvie_?"

  
Trevor was like frozen agape on his seat, only his own jaw seemed to be moving, as if it had been unsuccessfully trying to close the mouth.

  
"You think we broke him, hun?" The young folk asked.

  
"Just give him a couple minutes to process all that." Emily shrugged, sitting back in her chair.

  
As she'd foreseen, Trevor gradually snapped out of his own shock and tried to regain his composure.

  
"W-Wha... Wow..." The young man cleared his own throat, then he attempted a witty remark. "Well, shit. You two surely have a great memory for extremely old episodes from the past. Are you two seriously still holding a grudge for what is now history? Man, you sure need to grow up and move on."

  
The other two just stared back at him in complete silence. Trevor felt some cold sweat running down his spine.  
"C-C'mon now... We were all just kids! I was just a little kid, very young and also very stupid! And... W-We all make mistakes, after all. Especially at that age, y'know?"  
Trevor turned to Jamie. "Look, Jamie... James. Even I haven't really forgotten what I did back then, and whenever I remember that day, I still feel like a piece of shit." The young man sighed. "And if you're still holding a grudge after all these years... I understand, ok? I understand perfectly."

  
"Oh, actually I kinda let this one go some time after entering junior high." Jamie smiled lightly.

  
"What?" The other was taken off guard. "You mean... You have forgiven me?"

  
"Hmh." The young folk nodded.

  
Trevor blinked in surprise, then grinned. "That's a huge reli--"

  
"I said _forgiven_, sweetie. Not _forgotten_." Jamie cut the other out with an unusually icy tone.

  
"I, uh... ok..?" The other blinked.

  
"Yeah. You see, an awful lot of people tend to mix the two terms. As if _'forgiving'_ someone automatically means _'forgetting'_ what that person has done. Anyone could forgive someone else's actions, but that doesn't automatically mean that the formerly offended part would now want to become buddy with the other." The young folk explained, looking away only once from Trevor to exchange a quick glance with Emily.  
"I guess you were kinda hoping for Emily here to become your 'buddy', am I right?"

  
"W-Well... We have a lot in common, and--" Trevor tried to retort. Emily meddled in.

  
"You need to stand corrected: you _still are_ very stupid." The young woman chimed in with a hum. "In fact, I think that years may have turned you in one of those boring dumb jocks. You know, those who can't think straight, because their dick seems to be constantly interfering with any form of rational thinking? _Those ones_." The girl went on.  
"You see a lone girl sitting at a table and your first thought is to try and get in her pants."

  
"Hey!"

  
Emily gave him a sarcastic thumb up. "Smooth move, bro."

  
"W-Well, you really seemed into it too!" Trevor protested, springing on his feet. "You kept teasing me about my muscles and stuff, and also said that you wished to see more of it!"

  
From their own seat, Jamie silently cocked an eyebrow, not missing a single beat of that interesting debate.

  
"Yeah, deceitfulness runs deep in my family." Emily answered, totally not impressed. "Given the reputation gathered by my father in very recent times, I thought you should've seen this coming. After all, I am 'Paradigm's daughter'."  
She stood up and inched closer to the other. "And yet, you were so busy trying to butter me up with another blatant lie that you never realise that, not even for a split second."

  
"W-What lie?" The other asked, trying to regain some personal space.

  
Emily quoted his line perfectly: _God, rumours are true: you've really grown into one fine-looking lady, if I may say._

  
"You see, there's absolutely no such 'rumour' anywhere in Fission City, let alone in this campus." The young woman then added to the dumbfounded man. "And I'm sure as hell of it, because I myself always make sure that no one would know me as anything else but a 'stuck up bitch'. The only who think I may be even remotely 'hot stuff' are rookie and wannabe-Romeo dumbasses like you."

  
"Watch your mouth, Paradigm." Trevor hissed. "I-I made a lot of important friends. Very important. I could end your academic career right then and there a-and ruin the rest of your life."

  
The girl took off her jacket, then planted her palm on her hips, making herself sure that her arm muscles could be on full display under the sleeves of her t-shirt.

  
"Oh, _could you_?" She asked defiant. "Did you seriously believe that you could come to me, asking me to be your fuckbuddy just because we're both under the 'white rich folks' category? Because, 'white rich folks' part aside, I don't think we have any more things in common."

  
The other stared at her arms for a moment, gulping.

  
"Yeah, you wouldn't want to get on her bad side anymore, hun." Jamie hummed from their seat. "And you wouldn't want to get on my bad side either, for that matter." The young folk added, standing up from their seat and moving next to their friend. "After all, none of us is as defenseless as a little kid anymore. Even I gave my small share of 'knuckles sandwiches' in the past years."

  
Trevor finally found his voice again.  
"... Are you two actually threatening me?" He blinked, this time in disbelief.

  
"Ha! You're fine to talk. But nope, we're just _kindly suggesting_ you to buzz the fuck off." Emily answered with a broad, feral smile. "Or you think you could scare us because you have 'big friends' on your side? Hah!" She scoffed. "Just wait to see ours. _They_ are big, even bigger than you and us together. _Literally._"

  
Jamie pretended to strike a pose, before giving a further hint to who Emmie had been referring to. "Only one word for you, sweetie:" the young folk couldn't hold back an amused smirk, "_jawsome!_"

  
Trevor tensed up. Oh, he had heard _a lot_ of talking about those half sharks, lately.

  
"... Fuck you, bitch." The young man snarled to Emily, clumsily trying to hide his uneasiness.

  
"Ah. That's more like it." Emily hummed, overall amused.

  
"And _you_..." The other pointed an angry finger towards Jamie. "I should've crushed your head in one of those lockers, you fuckin' faggot!"

  
"Hmh, it's been nice to see you too once again, _Trevvie_." Jamie smiled back.

  
"Eat shit and die!" Trevor snapped, before storming away.

  
"Fare-fuckin'-well, _Trevvie-poo_." Emily waved along with Jamie at the young man leaving.

Once Trevor was out of sight, the two sat back at the table.

  
"Jamie, buddy..." Emily hummed to her friend as she looked at the kiosk menu to pick a drink. "You are an absolute worst liar too."

  
"What did I ever say?" The other asked back innocently.

  
"You know you never gave anyone a single 'knuckles sandwich'. Yet." The other snorted amused, then peeped at her friend from the top of the menu.  
"Unless you were ready to make an exception with that guy?"

  
"Well..." Jamie trailed off, pensively. "Maybe?"

  
"James Murphy! What would you father think of you?" Emily pretended to be scandalised.

  
"Dad isn't here, so he couldn't really think anything of what he can't see." The young folk smirked lightly, then returned her gaze from the top of their menu.  
"Unless _someone_ would betray her own very bestie by becoming their dad's 'little birdie'."

  
"Jamie, really now? This is Trevor we're talking about." Emily smirked back. "If he'll ever give you _one_ reason for you to sock him, I'll be there to gladly lend a hand."

  
Jamie winked mischievously. "I knew I could count on you, hun."


End file.
